Field of the Invention
The subject matter disclosed herein generally relates to an apparatus for injecting a first fluid into a second fluid. More specifically, an injection quill design and methods of use are disclosed.
Description of Related Art
In refineries, water treatment facilities, and other process industries, chemical treatments are used to reduce or deactivate harmful species in process streams and protect processing equipment from corrosion and fouling. This involves injecting the treatment chemical into the process stream. Both the treatment chemical and process stream may be oil-soluble, water-soluble or a mixture thereof. The treatment chemicals and process streams may be a liquid, gas, or a mixture thereof. Uniform and maximum dispersion of the treatment chemical through the process stream may increase the effectiveness of the treatment chemical and may even reduce treatment costs. Likewise, uniform and maximum volume fraction of the treatment chemical on process equipment surfaces may increase the effectiveness of the treatment chemical and may even reduce treatment costs. For many injection applications, an injection quill may be used to inject the treatment chemical into the process stream. Examples of injection applications where an injection quill may be used, include, but are not limited to, injecting a H2S scavenger, a neutralizer, corrosion inhibitor, or a filmer into a hydrocarbon stream at a hydrocarbon processing facility.
Currently, injection quills and their use are developed based on trial and error by people with experience in the field. This current method may be sub-optimal, leading to uneven distribution of treatment chemicals or uneven coverage of processing equipment surfaces. In the cases where the treatment chemical is a corrosion inhibitor, such uneven coverage may lead to severe corrosion of exposed pipe surfaces, as witnessed in the field. The injection design must then be altered, often more than once, until corrosion is minimized. This trial and error process is inefficient and costly. In addition, injection quills obstruct the flow of the process stream being treated. The obstruction may be enough to cause a pressure drop in the process stream being treated.